The article tries to answer the question of whether the concept of Oriental religions introduced at the beginning of the 20th century by the Belgian scholar Franz Cumont can be preserved in a modified form as an analytical tool for the description and study of Graeco-Roman religions. After a short survey of the problematic aspects of Cumont's view, which have been justly criticised in recent scholarship, an argument is raised in favour of the opinion that in spite of these problems a modified category of Oriental cults should be preserved. This is because the representatives included in this group have enough shared features, making them distinctive in comparison with other religious cults or communities known from the Graeco-Roman world.